


Abel Township's Annual Bake-Off!

by ijustcantwaittobeme



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Abel Township
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-05 00:39:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15852705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ijustcantwaittobeme/pseuds/ijustcantwaittobeme
Summary: Abel Township has an annual bake-off every year to  welcome the new Runners, celebrate the current, and remember the fallen. What happens is normally a lot of happy civilians and runners alike celebrating a rare get together with a very intense sugar high.This year becomes one to remember as one runner decides it was time to showcase their own talented...creation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Huge credit goes to the zr community over on tumblr (especially to @runnerzero) who I shared a small headcanon with!  
> (More about that can be found here:  
>  Source  )
> 
> I just - loved their brilliant addition to this from @runnerzero and the community that  
> I have wanted to contribute something creative.  
>  **[Quick Note:]  
> **  
>  I did end up writing a bit of a hint of Janine and Simon  
> as a potential pairing but I tried to leave it up to the one reading this as to how you see them. ^_^'

**Backstory: This is a simplistic jell-o recipe (according to Runner Three) made  
from a few dozen  packs he’s collected for the bake off this past year.  
  
Yet through the aging (?) of the packages or just - Simon being a bit  
cheeky in response to making something has created quiet a stir in the small community.  
  
Showcasing a a dessert that's well - not for everyone.  
The majority of all the attendee's are avoiding walking  
past due to the quote unquote ‘realistic imagery’. **

 

 

* * *

 

 

   
“What? We see them all the time!” is his defense line as Janine glares at the table then back at him.  
  
“Out of all the things you could have made using the – _Mr. Yao!!_ ” her voice rose,  
starting the comms communicator. “ _Do not make that monstrosity jiggle!_ ”  
  
Simon laughs noticing Sam’s reaction, unable to hold back his pride.  
  
Dark eyes look back into his own, assuring him that this was _not_ a compliment.  
  
“Maybe next year I’ll make mini ones then!” he says, his smile widening as Sam leaves to go over to another section.  
“C’mon! Jell-o shots! That’ll be fun!… “ there was a comical pause before he added.  
  
“…Wait … do Jell-o shots count as baking?”  
  
This Cheshire grin he wore proudly was going to get him into trouble someday.  
  
Without saying another word, way too tired to dignify  
that with a retort - Janine  walks away,  
heading over towards the other entries for  
this year’s bake off.  
  
  
Oh well - _he_ at least found it funny…

 

 

* * *

   
Almost stuffed to the brim in samples -  
Simon comes back over to his side  
to grab another plate and sighs.  
  
Still ahead of him was the table  
his dessert sat under the dim lights.  
  
It’s perfectly brain shaped form still intact.  
  
  
Looks like no one else was going to indulge in this masterpiece. Almost a shame really…  
  
  
Before he can return to his table and succumb to his fate of dining  
on this ‘monstrosity’ he sees a familiar face approaching - two actually and grins.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2: Five's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m chopping this one into several chapters which doesn’t make a lot of sense but seeing as this is strictly in Runner Five’s perspective, I wanted it to be labeled as such.

{Five's POV}  
  
A noise comes from Five that’s not really discernible at first - their hand clasping over their mouth in shock.  
  
“Don’t knock it until you have tried it Five!” Simon teases while Sam lightly pats their shoulder.  
  
"It’s only jell-o Five - I'm sure it's ...edible?"  
  
  
That wasn’t the problem.  
  
Nothing about Three using jell-o tonight to create the grossest thing imaginable  
for others to banquet on wasn't in the least bit surprising to Five.  
  
It was what he _included_ with the damn thing. They couldn’t look at without wanting to laugh.  
  
It had been so long since they remember finding  
something this hilarious and they weren't entirely sure why they had to  
hide it until a few civilians caught their eye.  
  
  
Hugs were being exchanged between them. Tear stained, carrying momentos and photos  
of a runner that had fallen less than a week ago.  
  
They were young - but not much younger than Five.  
  
Eager to help. ...something Five knew about them even thought they hadn't been on any mission with them.  
  
Like most deaths, It was unfortunate that they were gone but at least they didn't have to leave this world grey.  
  
  
The candlelight emitting from their small section of the room was sobering to look at - reminding Five why they were all here.  
  
  
Yes this was a celebration, the one day where everyone got together  
\- with the few supplies they could spare -  
to celebrate and honour the Runners still here at Abel and  
to pay respects to the ones who have fallen.  
  
  
Bakery offered for the township was a way to boost morale;  
providing a chance to remember, offer support to those still grieving  
but find a way to celebrate the good memories before the night concluded.  
  
Where the current residents could leave a new memory behind as a memento for next year.  
  
Five's composure was returning to them; enough for them to walk away from both Simon's table and away from  
the residents who were obviously trying to grieve in private. As much as one could at something like this.  
  
  
  
Coming back with a glass of water, Sam and Simon were in idle chatter as Five sat back down, not paying  
much mind what they were on about when out of the corner of their sight saw _it_ again.  
  
  
  
( _’It’s not that funny'_ ) Five exhaled a quick huff into their water, trying to do whatever they could to not think about it.  __  
  
\- it’s not that funny it’s not that funny it’s not that funny’  
Runner Five's mind repeated the failed mantra over and over, trying to keep it together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will resume the original point of view now.


	3. Chapter 3: Devil's in the Details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Simon’s point of view & like every section of this story becoming a multiple chapter thing, this is relatively short as well.  
> (Side Note: Sam, Simon and Five discussions are quite fun to write.)

_{Returning to Simon's POV}_  
  
As Simon scooped up some of the wiggly pink mess, finally able to convince Sam that   
it was edible, he couldn't help but stare at Five who handed  
them their plate but wore such a contorted look  
that he wasn't sure if they were about to have a stroke.  
  
  
“Y’alright?” he asked as Sam used his plastic wear to poke his half of the frontal lobe section gelatin  
as Five looked everywhere else.  
  
Had the sugar really fucked the pair of them up this much?  
  
  
  
  
“C'mon it's not _that_ awful,” his arm had been extended with their plate for a few seconds now.  
  
Five seems to snap back for a moment, taking their plate with a slight nod before the hyperactivity took over again.  
  
Except this time, when a noise tried to get out of their mouth - Five was adamant in  
getting the two of them to understand that they were not having a meltdown.  
  
Following the extension of their arm - the direction of Five's index finger, Sam and Simon exchanged confused looks.  
  
  
  
“Oh - **oh**!!” Sam had caught on, his expression was similar to Fives almost immediately after he said it.

 

(’ _Oh for fuck’s sake…_ ’) Simon rolled his eyes when he finally realized what was going on.  
  
* * * 

  
“You have to admit that Five has valid point” Sam spoke after a while - allowing their laughter to subside  
before taking on a conversation about it.  
  
“It is called decorating!” Simon defended, not exactly annoyed but not too happy about the response either.   
  
Five snorting with a mouth full of the jell-o  wasn't helping him out either.  
  
Sam’s lips quivered for a second, refusing to allow another laughing fit get the better of him.  
  
“Oh? Well that's...that's okay I mean...yeah yeah! Now that you've said that I can see it. Five?”  
  
Five must've been lightly kicked underneath the table. Not only was Sam's posture too good to be considered  
natural, Five's eyes were watering in an attempt to not laugh.  
  
“Three - I'm really really sorry..." they attempted to sign.   
  
"I'm swear I'm not making fun of you I -- just -" their ability to move in the rhythm  
for signing was getting awful. Sugar high definitely hitting them without mercy.  
  
" _why are there leaves_ …?” that was it. Five was gone again and  
hit their head on the table - refusing to look up until they got their sanity  
back together.  
  
  
**“For Decoration!!!”**

 


	4. Chapter 4: Critique

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is such a thing as too much jell-o.  
> Also closing ceremony.

Scoop after scoop after scoop.  
  
Simon peered around the room after awhile, returning some of the same weirded  
out looks they had been getting most of the evening.  
  
Yep. No one wasn't going to get anywhere near this tonight.

* * *

  
  
An hour passed. Five and Sam had finally calmed down from their sugar rush and began  
discussing some runners candidly.  
  
Some Simon knew of and others he never took the time to meet - apart from Alice.  
  
Five signed about the boy - the one who had recently passed.  Sam hadn't mentored them  
but word got around Abel fast about who knew them.  
  
Such a damn shame like any deaths here.

* * *

  
  
Not all conversations remained painful or gloomy though, Sam had brought up the  
snafu that Runner Four and Five had experiencing recently, something Simon hadn't heard about yet.  
  
A small smirk was forming on Simon's face as he listened, making a mental note to tease Jo later about this one.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The sunset had left the township, Sam and Five were making various excuses about needing to head off.  
Simon was about to wave them off when they started leaving critique on the jell-o along with their appreciation.  
  
( _'Oh right,'_ he remembered. _'This was a given at the event, and had been since the start.'_ )  
  
He didn't realized he cared all that much about this sort of thing until   
his only taste testers were in unison on the overall judgment.  
  
Despite its looks, the strawberry had in fact won them over.  
  
( _'So - strawberry is more than just a good coloring base for this sort of thing._  
_...Good to know.'_ )

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like a bad writer for chopping this story up. If you are still reading - thank you.


	5. Chapter 5: The Night wraps up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the event, Simon volunteers to clean up -letting his thoughts wander when a friend greets him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not good at writing pairings or two characters you could interpret as such. ^^’
> 
> This chapter is short and not very reflective of that but it will be in chapter six.

The rest of the evening was a hit for Abel.  
  
Civilians and Runners alike joined in sharing memories and stories of those who have gone  
and sharing good memories even as recently as a week ago.  
  
Welcoming in the new runners as well - everyone tonight would  
return to their beds with bellies full  
and sleep with the comforting  
reminder that Abel was and always will be way more than a township.  
  
**_It’s home._ **  
  
Janine gives a wonderful speech at the end,  
offering praise to this years winners.  
  
  
The contest was a bonus, nobody really won  
anything except some hearty cheers from the rest of the township.  
  
  
  
The three of them applauded the final speech,  
and sat in silence for a few more minutes.  
  
People watching more or less but it was surprisingly entertaining.  
  
Groups were beginning to  
clear out, heading back to their residence  
but not before  
trying to commit to coming over to their table.  
  
Some were curious and got pretty close then  
immediately regretted finding out what was there.   
  
Others had already seen it or had been warned yet had come back  
to attempt being one of the first to get past their queasiness and give Runner  
Three’s dessert a fair shot.  
  
While appreciated - everyone cleared out of the  
room without a single soul  succeeding in their attempt.  
  
  
He didn’t mind it though. He had been in good company the majority  
of the night and besides, this was all part of the fun for him anyway.  
  
  
People could and would make excellent dishes.  
Desserts meant to be praised over.  
  
There wasn’t anything being lost here by him experimenting and creating things that  
were tasty but challenging for anyone to figure that out.  
  
Still, he couldn't help but tilt his head to the side every time Janine would walk by though,  
curious if she would do anything else but glare over at the table disapprovingly.

 

* * *

 

   
Every dessert and pastry were quick to disappear  
except for Three’s naturally.

  
To Sam and Five’s credit though they  
did manage to get through half of it before calling it a night.  
  
  
_’Maybe next year I’ll have enough to do a jelly cake of some sort.’_   Simon let his imagination wonder as he wished his friends a good night.  
  
  
Having nothing better to do, he volunteered  
to stay behind to do some of the clean up.  
  
  
Ideas were flooding into his mind for next year  
when firm but calming hand landed on his  
shoulder briefly, returning him back to reality.  
  
“Jenny?” the tension in his upper body relaxed as soon as she came into his line of sight.  
  
She scared him half to death!  
  
He had been cleaning for a while now and thought he had been the only one left.  
  
Saying nothing, she walked past him and  
over to another table in front of him,  
grabbing one of the chairs the township  
before promptly setting it down by his table  
with a hard thud.  
  
Taking his plate - plastic ware ware already in hand  
she scooped a good  
proportion of what was left of the jell-o.  
  
  
  
“Erm… “ was all he could think to say before she took  
his spoon and stabbed it into one section of the plate  
\- apparently they would be sharing. “Thanks???”

 

 


	6. Chapter 6: The Final Judge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between Simon and Janine De Luca.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started this, I had no intention of writing character(s) pairing off in any way (I don’t mind if they are seen as such but I am trying to leave as much of the imagination up to the reader as possible.)
> 
> Both characters may be completely ooc.

Without commenting, she tried to section hers off.

He took notice every time her  
eyebrows pulled forward.  
Her expression of disgust grew anytime pieces of it moved.  
  
Setting the broom aside, a hand towel draped  
over his neck he decided to join her.  
  
Awkwardly taking his seat to her right and started trying  
to nibble away on his without looking her in the eye.  
Allowing the silence to be whatever it needed to be.  
  
  
Although he would never admit it, he found himself hoping  
it wouldn't be the worst thing she ever ate.  
  
  
  
_Clank._  
  
  
  
Allowing a quiet sigh of relief go through him,  
he took another bite as well - more at  
ease now that  she was finishing her section off.  
  
  
  
“Strawberry?”  
  
“Yep.”  
  
  
  
More silence, unless you counted her going ‘hmm’.

* * *

 

 

That…had been _a lot_ of jell-o.

   
Simon felt like he had his fill of the stuff  
for the next ten years or so.  
  
Janine set the plate aside, looking a bit strained before speaking.  
  
  
  
  
“Y’know Si …" she began, he wanted to lean closer  
or at least offer something to break the ice with but felt frozen on the spot,   
  
"I hadn’t expected something this disgusting to turn out alright.”  
  
  
  
  
" _But_ I can’t give your dessert any praise. Jell-o by itself  
is _not_ considered baking." this seemed to  
bother her.  
  
"You know that. Everyone knows that.  
You entered an item knowing it would be  
banned right now on the spot."  
  
“Yeah…” he hedged, rubbing his neck briefly,  
“but in all fairness  Jenny... are you banning  
the  jell-o on technicality _or_ because I made it look like a brain?”  
  
“Both.” her nose crinkled at the wording, making him grin.  
  
“Don’t get any ideas,” she warned watching his smile only grow.  
  
“I will also ban you from future events  
as well if you a stunt like this next year.  
  
“Got it.”  
  


 


	7. Chapter 7: One last question

“What?” she looked weary as his eyes  
lit up without prompt.  
  
“Hey listen - before we uh - call it quits tonight - I just want you to know that I...  
I hear ya on everything about tonight," the calmness in his tone took her off guard for a moment.  
  
The rare times where Simon could be a serious, mature adult was refreshing yet suspicious in nature.  
  
"I can promise from now on... no more jell-o schemes in the bake off."  
  
"Good."  
  
  
" _BUT_..."  
  
  
"Here it comes..." she muttered.  
  
"But ~"  Simon ignored her for a moment,  
  
"Seeing as I still have a few more packages of it left  
\- whaddya say to using the remainder on a trial run?”  
  
She looked over in his direction, one eyebrow raised higher than the other.  
  
“...and for what reason?” his request lost her.  
  
“I mean let’s face it. Jell-o isn’t going to be a popular choice here  
for a while so - why let them go to waste  
when us runners can go and take them out on missions to-”  
  
**_“No.”_**  
  
(' _Damn_ ' he thought, her catching on quicker than he had anticipated.)  
  
“Okay okay fine.” he sighed trying again.   
  
“Don’t want to do anything reckless with the inexperienced ones  
so I’ll make sure that Five and I - “  
  
  
  
**“NO.”**

  
  
“What?” he looked at her trying to appear innocent.  
  
“It’s just a trial run. Five and I would be careful…”  
  
  
  
“You can’t be serious for one second can you?" she gaped at him for a moment  
before rubbing her eyes again.  
  
"You cannot expect me to believe you of all people Simon Lauchlan -  
would willingly volunteer to go and take supplies  
\- **_valuable,_** **rare and _much needed supplies_ ** I might add,  
outside of Abel and actually take them to another base or needed location."  
  
  
  
He said nothing, waiting for her to finish which  
seemed to add a to her annoyance.  
  
"You're just looking for an excuse to be reckless and use Five as your co-conspirator."  
  
  
"Knowing you - " she added with an icy tone.  
" -you'd probably use the remainder of this artificial  
crap to draw in a hoard with a similar 'pattern' you created tonight."  
  
The silence confirmed it.  
  
"That's EXACTLY what you're thinking of doing isn't it?  
And you want me  to approve it."  
  
“Yes.” his face was unreadable but that was it.  
  
“Denied.”  
  
“Aw..why?”  
  
"You're out of your mind if you think I would allow you or  
  Five risk your lives for something that is so... tasteless as abandoning  
rations for a very poor excuse of a joke."  
  
“Whoa whoa whoa!! That's a bit uncalled for! Do you really think so lowly of me?” he feigned a look of offense even though  
there wasn't a hint of amusement behind those dark eyes.  
  
"Yes," she told him and he ignored her.  
  
  
“We know how to do our job! And keep our distance of course.  
It’s not like either of us have a death wish that I know of," he trailed off for a moment trying to  
not break character.  
  
"Besides…" he paused unexpectedly, realizing how Five felt earlier on self-control.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Besides...we uh... we would get the packets safely out of Abel and  
carry that crate with pride. And I think Five and I have been on enough missions now that it's safe to say that  
I think I can safely while we both have been reckless in the past, that was in our spare time.  
We can and do in fact take our jobs seriously."  
  
  
"Uh huh..."  
  
  
  
"Give us some credit Jenny we know how to do things properly." her posture wasn't relaxing.  
  
"And how do you 'handle' this trial run' of yours - properly?' she prompted, waiting to see how far he  
was planning to take this one.  
  
"Properly?" he repeated still sounding too innocent to be real.  
  
"Well - we'd - we'd go by the book of course!"  
  
"Do tell. I haven't read up on it in awhile."  
  
"Well you see we would make sure things are secure in the crate."  
  
"A crate - right."  
  
"Yes," now he was onto something, "we would open it up once we made it at the final  
destination and would not leave until there was a 100% certainty  
that the stick we had placed firmly in the ground was holding the weight properly so that the box –”  
  
  
  
“Oh my god…” Janine was ready to get up and leave right then and there.  
  
“Let me finish." the amusement in his eyes betrayed him, despite having  
a decent voice to sell this to anyone else but her.  
  
Folding her arms, he took that as a cue that she would hear him out.  
  
"We would then attach the string directly above it to anchor  
the dess-- er I mean all the tiny packets so that none of them would be lost by gust of wind or...or  something."  
  
  
"And if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure that Runner Five wouldn't object to watching our little  
animation guide again. I'm pretty sure Sam's old  copy  
from the last supply run at the media shop still holds up well.” he wrapped his arm  
around her briefly, winking before laughter took over.   
  
She was appalled at the amount of dedication he took into  
fabricating a convincing coverup on how he and Five would  
literally dedicate their time and energy to use the old Bugs Bunny  
method of capturing something.   
  
Capturing zombies with brain-shaped jell-o was... was...  
... it was definitely something he'd consider.  
  
Something Runner Five would encourage as well.  
  
  
  
“It’s foil-proof!" he was still laughing  
and she shook her head at him.  
  
"Unbelievable," her tone wasn't as harsh now.  
  
"Five and I would be safe and even if one of the zoms got too close -  
you have to admit that this sort of thing would  
only lure the stupider ones ones away from the pack anyway so c'mon - whaddya say?"   
  
She looked at him - saying nothing.  
  
"Now that you know that I wouldn’t have myself  
or Five treat supplies in a disgraceful manner just for a few  
laughs and we would only  
treat unwanted packets of strawberry jell-o  
in a disgraceful manner for said few laughs? Hmm??"  
  
**_“You’re an idiot.”_**  
  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes, although she was shaking her head,  
he took in the moment to see how  
that cold scowl of hers faded away from her face,  
her eyes closed for a second as if to … ah yes.  
  
  
There it was.  
  
The smile would have been beautiful on its own but it had  
been a long time since he had remembered seeing her  
let out a laugh.  
  
A laugh from De Luca was probably considered a chuckle or two  
if you were lucky but that smile...  
  
However brief she would allow it - that to him was worth  
way more than getting a good grade in this bake off  
or even the fun he and Five would have by doing  
something that idiotic together.  
  
He found himself laughing a little bit as well; more relief than anything.  
  
Now he could have a reminder that - just for one moment -  
one moment in time she did not  
she did not hate him (or this joke of a dessert)  
completely.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for Janine sound so uptight and cold here T_T  
> I wanted to reflect their friendship and how she shows more of a serious side (but will find Simon ridiculous to the point it is amusing to her) whereas I wanted to show similar themes for Simon but how he loves to be dramatic and tease her with the best intentions possible. 
> 
> Sorry again for ooc writing - I hope I haven’t done Janine too much of a disservice.


	8. Chapter 8: Short and Sweet [Final]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So short so sweet and it’s the end!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who read this - you didn’t have to but thank you just the same.

“Try harder next year.” she called out to him,  
chair already in arms, walking towards the exit without  
so much as a goodnight.  
  
  
_‘Oh I will.’_ Simon finished setting the last chair, wearing a  
toothy grin heading out into the night himself.

 

  
  
So many ideas. So little time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far - thank you! Sorry for the scrambled mess! I decided to include the concept visual I made for Simon’s quote unquote ‘creation’.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello again! You've reached the end!  
> It just occurred to me that this is in fact _the first story I have shared in full - (flaws and_  
>  all) in several years and **I am mortified.**
> 
> I write a lot but rarely ever share so the rustic nature of my writing shows itself well.  
> I am painfully aware of everything from sentence structure, dialogue exchanges to general pacing problems - so -  
> I know it really needs work. ^^'
> 
> Having said that, I am not terrified of feedback should you wish  
> to leave anything but there is also no obligation either.  
> I just hope I haven't wasted anyone's time. ^^'


End file.
